1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cord end stopper attached to the end of a cord inserted through a sleeve or a ring formed in clothing, baggage, etc.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Heretofore, a cord has been inserted through sleeves formed in ski wear or the similar clothes, in order to adjust the size of the waist portion or to close the neck edge of the hood portion of such clothes. A cord end stopper is attached to each end of the cord so as to make it easier to manipulate the ends of the cord when binding and unbinding the cords, and to prevent the cord end from coming off the sleeve of the clothing.
As such a cord end stopper, a truncated-conical cord end stopper is well known. The truncated-conical cord end stopper is hollow and has a through hole formed through the longitudinal axis thereof for inserting the cord longitudinally therethrough. In use, one end of the cord is inserted through the truncated-conical cord end stopper from its smaller-diametered end of the stopper. That cord end which has come out from the greater-diametered end of the stopper is knotted. Then, the cord is pulled along, until the thus formed knot comes into complete fitting engagement with the truncated-conical cord end stopper.
Another example of cord end stopper of the type as described is disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 51-38407. According to this publication, the cord end stopper is comprised of two pieces, a male member and a female member. The male member and the female member are constructed so as to be coupled with each other to define a groove therebetween for accommodating a cord therein. A plurality of prongs are provided on the inner surfaces of the groove so as to project in such a direction as to face the cord. In use, the cord is inserted in the groove in the female member of the cord end stopper, and then, the male member is jointed to the female member, whereupon the prongs are brought into binding engagement with the cord accommodated in the groove so that the cord can be clamped and retained firmly between the male and female member.
In the former type of conventional cord end stoppers, in order to attach the cord end stopper to the end of the cord, the cord must be threaded through the truncated-conical cord end stopper, then knotted, and eventually, pulled along until the knotted end gets covered by the truncated-conical cord end stopper. Such operation of attaching the cord end stopper to the cord requires much time and cost, so that the operation efficiency is very low. Furthermore, when the truncated-conical cord end stopper is accidentally caught to a train door, a ski lift etc., a wearer would be dragged, thus being likely to incur injury.
The latter type conventional cord end stopper is easy in attaching a cord thereto. However, if a cord is very stiff like a hard rubber cord, then, the projecting prongs will not come into biting engagement with the cord, and thus will not hold the cord sufficiently. Besides, in the case that a soft fabric cord is used, the projecting prongs can bite the cord all right. However, yarns or filaments constituting the fabric cord are liable to be broken by the prongs so that the cord is easily raveled. In order to prevent or reduce this risk, the cord must be subjected to heat treatment, thus resulting in increase in number of steps for producing the cord.